It's interesting that the government has decided to bail out the financial and automotive industries but not the newspaper industry. I would argue that newspapers are just as essential to the functioning of our society as either of those industries!

Freakonomics **** : A University of Chicago economics professor analyzes statistics to challenge popular beliefs. Co-written by a newspaper/magazine author, and thus a bit light on the math and watered down for mainstream acceptance, but a thought stimulating read.

Some of the interesting topics discussed/proven in this book:

How teachers cheat by altering their students' standardized test scores

How sumo wrestlers cheat by throwing matches when it doesn't affect their overall ranking and will help their opponent's ranking

How a children's radio show and free information flow mortally wounded the Ku Klux Klan

Why real estate agents don't have anything to gain by helping you get a better deal

How and why people lie about themselves on online dating services

How little drug dealers really make and why they still live with their moms

The effect that legalized abortion had on crime rates in the 1990s

How your child has a greater chance of dying if she plays at a friend's house where there is a swimming pool rather than playing at a friend's house where there is a gun present

How parents focus their energy on safer cribs and child car seats and how they are, at best, nominally helpful in preventing child deaths, along with child-resistant packaging, flame-retardant pajamas, car airbags, and safety drawstrings no clothes (the cumulative deaths from all of these causes is significantly less than swimming pool drownings for children).

How "good parenting actions" have very little effect on the educational success of children (the following had no correlation with academic success: having a stay-at-home parent; being read to them every day; going on museum trips or being enrolled in Head Start; not watching TV)